The third batch of Two-hundred and thirty-eight Oyo State pilgrims, who partook in the 2022 Hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia, have safely arrived in Lagos State.
The pilgrims, who left Nigeria on Saturday, July 2, 2022 arrived at exactly 11:20 am on Sunday, July 31, 2022, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
They were welcomed back into the country by some members of the Oyo State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Muslim Wing, and were taken by the board to meet their friends and families.
Addressing the media, the Oyo State Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Professor Musibau Babatunde, thanked the Oyo State Government for its unflinching support in making the 2022 Hajj a success.
Babatunde, on behalf of the pilgrims, thanked Almighty Allah for His mercy throughout the spiritual exercise.
“We enjoyed immeasurable support from the State Government and we are grateful to our principal, Governor Seyi Makinde, for this.”
He said the pilgrims were good ambassadors of Oyo State, noting that they adhered strictly to every protocol in Saudi Arabia.
“This largely contributed to the success of the pilgrimage, as no crime or any casualty was recorded,” Babatunde said.
A total number of six hundred and fifty-five pilgrims, including officials, were airlifted by the Oyo State Government for the spiritual exercise in four batches.
With the third batch, the total number of pilgrims who have returned from the holy land is five hundred and eighty-six, while others are expected to be back later this week.
PIAK
